It's post-Civil War Kentucky, and the proud and close-knit Logan family continues its own legacy: the horse farm Logan forebears began from nothing a century before.

From this picturesque and gracious setting emerges "Legacy," which seems capable of walking the tightrope between outright family fare and outrageous soap opera; between "The Waltons" and "Savannah." Come to think of it, this is "Wind on Water" with crinolines and waistcoats but without Bo Derek.

The Logans take in Jeremy, a streetwise 17-year-old orphan from New York. Will he betray their generosity and undermine their dreams?

Meanwhile, one of the Logan boys realizes he's in love with his lifelong friend -- the daughter of a former slave.

Headed up by Brett Cullen as the noble patriarch and widower, Ned Logan, the big ensemble cast has someone for every viewer, including one real standout: little Sarah Rayne as precocious Lexy, the youngest of the Logan offspring.

Filmed on location in Richmond, Va., "Legacy" is a colorful portrait of the old South; a series with good manners, proper breeding -- and a bit of the devil looking to make trouble.

© AP